1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stretcher mounting unit which can be readily attached to and detached from a stretcher to be used in carrying a patient at sites of medical care such as hospitals and other medical nursing facilities.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventional stretchers which are used for carrying patients, invalids, etc. at sites of medical care such as hospitals are not provided with a power device for travel motion, and are usually moved by artificial motive power. Thus, these conventional stretchers have cast a heavy burden on men or women of the nursing force.
Heretofore, motor-driven medical beds and motor-driven wheelchairs have been in use. These bedsand wheelchairs are highly expensive because they incorporate internal mechanisms, motors, and electric power sources in their main bodies. These beds and wheelchairs purchase entail enormous cost because they must be procured as new products one by one.
The development of a motor-driven stretcher, among other types of stretchers, has a residual problem in terms of cost. Even at present, substantially all sites of medical care, such as premises of hospitals, use stretchers relying solely on artificial power to carry patients, invalids, etc. Such is a true state of affairs.
Generally, the carriage of a patient by the use of a stretcher is inevitably performed, more often than not, by one person. The combined weight of the stretcher itself and the patient laid thereon averages in the approximate range of 80-150 kg. The carriage of this weight by just one nurse has been found to be very hard labor.
Especially, the carriage of a patient or an invalid with a stretcher on a winding passageway, a sloped passageway which changes in level, or a long corridor has demanded still greater man-power. At times, the carriage of the patient has required extra help.
Most conventional stretchers have four freely rotatable castors fixed thereto, to touch the ground in order to produce a small turning circle while in use. Such a stretcher, while in service, is prone to produce an instable travel because the individual castors thereof often randomly assume directions different randomly from the direction of travel of the stretcher. Thus, the conventional stretchers have been deficient in the ability to produce a translatory motion, and the casters thereof are unstable during a turning motion of the stretcher,
Since the carriage of a patient or an invalid with a conventional stretcher has inflicted great pain on the nurse as described above, the desirability of relieving the nurse of this pain by offering a stably operating, inexpensive stretcher which avoids inflicting an undue burden on the user has been finding enthusiastic recognition.
This invention has been produced in light of the true state of prior art described above. It is an object of this invention to relieve the medical personel of the burden incurred in the carriage of patients, by providing a stretcher mounting unit which allows a reduction in the power necessary for the carriage of patients, enjoys a satisfactory operation, and avoids adding to cost.